Comment on Thorvaldsen's Spoken and Written Language
See, e.g., Thorvaldsen’s letters to Anna Maria Uhden dated presumably mid-July 1804 and 23.9.1813.
To be fair, it should be added that other, more experienced correspondents made use of similar disclaimers. See, e.g., C. F. F. Stanley’s letter to Thorvaldsen dated 16.8.1805: “Rip this in half when you have read it, both because of its poor style and for its miserable handwriting.” Or, albeit less severe, see Hermann Schubart’s letter to C. F. F. Stanley dated 30.9.1805, which offers the following disclaimer for its outward form: “May it be possible for you to read my letter! I do not dare reread it, lest I be tempted to burn it. Please accept it as it is with my good will.” Or Lund’s letter to Thorvaldsen dated 31.8.1805, which closes as follows: “Pardon me for writing so poorly, it will burden you to read my letter.”
For more on this subject, see the Related Article On Letters and Writing.
Last updated 30.09.2014